Board of Governors and Membership Meeting Features Industry, Political Leaders
AIA’s 70th Annual Board of Governors and Membership fall meeting was among the most highly-attended meetings in AIA history, featuring timely sessions on where our country is headed following the presidential and congressional elections, and on the future of the aerospace and defense industry. Held November 13-16 at the Grand Del Mar Hotel in San Diego, the meeting brought together aerospace and defense leaders from around the country for substantive discussions and southern California hospitality at its best.
(Board of Governors meeting - San Diego, Cali.)
AIA Chairman and President, Pratt & Whitney, United Technologies Corporation David P. Hess led the initial session then turned over the gavel to incoming Chairman for 2013, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President of Northrop Grumman Corporation Wes Bush.
(AIA Chairman David Hess) (AIA Vice Chairman Wes Bush)
One of the most eventful elections in American history was the focus of a presentation by noted pollster and political advisor Doug Schoen. Immediately after his presentation, Schoen moderated a lively discussion among senior Washington Representatives Sid Ashworth, corporate vice president, Government Relations at Northrop Grumman Corporation; Steve Cortese, senior vice president, Washington Operations at ATK; Greg Dahlberg, senior vice president for Washington Operations, Lockheed Martin Corporation; and Tim Keating, senior vice president of Government Operations at the Boeing Company.
Highlights of the fall meeting included talks by a number of aerospace and defense sector leaders, topped off by Frank Kendall, Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, who delved into considerable detail on the Pentagon’s “Better Buying Power 2.0” program.
(Frank Kendall, Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics)
In a special session moderated by Wes Bush, retiring industry leaders James Albaugh, President and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes (retired); Robert Stevens, Chairman and CEO of Lockheed Martin Corporation; Richard McNeel, Chairman, President and CEO of Lord Corporation; and Robert Brady, Executive Chairman of Moog Inc., shared their wisdom and lessons learned from a combined century of leadership in our industry, as well as forecasts for the future of aerospace and defense.
(Industry Leaders Panel)
Wrapping up the meeting’s top-notch roster of speakers, Ed Gillespie, former Chairman of the Republican National Committee and former Counselor to President George W. Bush and Terry McAuliffe, former Chairman of the Democratic National Committee and former Chairman of Hillary Clinton for President provided a lively back-and-forth on the meaning of the election and what lies ahead and then took on an engaging series of questions from the audience.
Feedback on the fall meeting was strongly positive, as members felt that the combination of thought-provoking presentations and discussion stimulated by the speakers and panels, along with the knowledge and insight imparted by a number of leading figures in our industry, gave immense value in a very uncertain time for aerospace and defense. One way or another, 2013 will prove to be a very challenging year; AIA is determined to provide the kind of thought leadership and value that our members have come to expect when they need it most.
AIA Source: dan.stohr[at]aia-aerospace.org
